1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information storing medium mounted to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a unit that is detachably mountable to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a developing cartridge, a process cartridge, and the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus are an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for instance, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, and the like), a facsimile apparatus, a word processor, and the like.
Also, the process cartridge integrally combines a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means which each function as a process means, with an electrophotographic photosensitive body into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to a main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge also integrally combines the electrophotographic photosensitive body with at least one of the charging means, the developing means, and the cleaning means that each function as a process means into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Further, the process cartridge integrally combines at least the developing means functioning as a process means with an electrophotographic photosensitive body into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the apparatus main body.
The developing cartridge integrally combines a developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive body with a developer container (hereinafter referred to as a “toner containing portion”) for containing a developer (hereinafter referred to as “toner”) into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Also, the unit includes an electrophotographic photosensitive body solely. Alternatively, the unit includes at least one process means like a developing means and a cleaning means. In some cases, the unit includes a fixing means and the like. This unit is detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
It is possible for a user to attach and detach the unit, the process cartridge, and the developing cartridge to and from the apparatus main body by himself/herself, which allows the user to perform maintenance on the apparatus main body without difficulty.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that uses an electrophotographic image forming process, there has been adopted a process cartridge system integrally combining an electrophotographic photosensitive body with a process means acting on this electrophotographic photosensitive body into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. With this process cartridge system, a user can perform maintenance on the apparatus without depending on a serviceman, whereby a substantial improvement can be achieved in terms of operability. Thus, the process cartridge system is widely used for electrophotographic image forming apparatuses.
Also, in recent years, there has been developed a product in which a memory (storing element) for storing various kinds of service information and process information is mounted in a cartridge. As to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the image quality and the ease of maintenance of a cartridge are further improved by utilizing memory information of this cartridge. Also, in some cases, there are performed telecommunications with the memory of the cartridge through electrical connection with a connector provided on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
However, in the case where there is used a conventional contact connector, to realize reliable electrical connection, the communication mechanism of the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and the contact point of the memory on the cartridge side become complicated, and it becomes difficult to reduce the size and cost of an apparatus like a printer.
The present invention has been made in view of the unsolved problems of the background art.